BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
The Circuit Finals season rolled on over the weekend as tickets were punched to the NFR Open at the Southeastern Circuit Finals in Davie, Florida.
Bareback riding, steer wrestling, bull riding and breakaway roping saw the emphatic victories as Luke Thrash, Joshua Hefner, Ernie Courson Jr. and Heather McLaughlin all dominated their respective events.
Thrash won all three bareback riding rounds and saved the highest marked ride of the rodeo for Round 3 to win going away. He was 18.5 points clear for Matthew Smith.
In steer wrestling, Hefner finished fourth in Round 1 before winning the next two rounds with a 3.3 and a 3.8. His 11.4 second aggregate time was almost four seconds better than second place.
Courson Jr. missed a majority of the summer after getting injured in the Short Round in Reno. However, he was still able to bounce back and repeat as Southeastern Circuit Finals Champion. For the second straight year, he was the only cowboy to cover multiple bulls.
McLaughlin put on a clinic in the breakaway roping winnings Rounds 1 and 3 and finishing second in Round 2. Her 7.5-second aggregate time was even more impressive when you consider she was the only one to catch on all three runs.
Other winners were Cole Thomas/Bryce Graves in team roping, Ryder Sanford in saddle bronc riding, Andrew Burks in team roping, Erin Wetzel in barrel racing and
BAREBACK RIDING
First round: 1. Luke Thrash, 80.5 points on JC Kitaif ProRodeos’ Dragon Breath, $2,452; 2. Matthew Smith, 79.5, $1,839; 3. Luke Herbert, 78, $1,226; 4. Tanner Phipps, 76.5, $613.
Second round: 1. Luke Thrash, 83.5 points on Generations Pro Rodeo’s Check Yourself, $2,452; 2. Kade Sonnier, 82, $1,839; 3. Jacob Raine, 78, $1,226; 4. Matthew Smith, 73, $613.
Third round: 1. Luke Thrash, 87 points on Hi Lo ProRodeo’s Square Bale, $2,452; 2. Matthew Smith, 80, $1,839; 3. Tanner Phipps, 79, $1,226; 4. Kade Sonnier, 78, $613.
Average: 1. Luke Thrash, 251 points on three head, $3,678; 2. Matthew Smith, 232.5, $2,759; 3. Jacob Raine, 227.5, $1,839; 4. Kade Sonnier, 225, $920.
STEER WRESTLING
First round: 1. Justin Thigpen, 3.6 seconds, $2,506; 2. Juan Alcazar Jr, 4.2, $1,880; 3. Joshua Hefner, 4.3, $1,253; 4. Marc Joiner, 4.4, $627.
Second round: 1. Joshua Hefner, 3.8 seconds, $2,506; 2. Cody Miller, 4.1, $1,880; 3. Marc Joiner, 4.4, $1,253; 4. Juan Alcazar Jr, 4.6, $627.
Third round: 1. Joshua Hefner, 3.3 seconds, $2,506; 2. Kyle Irwin, 4.0, $1,880; 3. Justin Thigpen, 4.4, $1,253; 4. Mose Fleming, 5.6, $627.
Average: 1. Joshua Hefner, 11.4 seconds on three head, $3,760; 2. Juan Alcazar Jr, 15.3, $2,820; 3. Marc Joiner, 15.6, $1,880; 4. Mose Fleming, 16.7, $940.
TEAM ROPING
First round: 1. Cole Thomas/Bryce Graves, 4.4 seconds, $2,506 each; 2. Brady Barretine/Craig Stevens, 5.1, $1,880; 3. Bradley Massey/Reno Gonzales, 5.4, $1,253; 4. Bart Brunson/Clay Green, 5.6, $627.
Second round: 1. Justin Yost/Garrett Smith, 5.4 seconds, $2,506 each; 2. Braxton Culpepper/Brad Culpepper, 5.6, $1,880; 3. Brady Barretine/Craig Stevens, 5.8, $1,253; 4. Bart Brunson/Clay Green, 6.0, $627.
Third round: 1. Cole Thomas/Bryce Graves, 4.5 seconds, $2,506 each; 2. Keven Daniel/Adam Plyler, 4.6, $1,880; 3. Bradley Massey/Reno Gonzales, 5.0, $1,253; 4. Justin Yost/Garrett Smith, 5.5, $627.
Average: 1. Cole Thomas/Bryce Graves, 16.4 seconds on three head, $3,760 each; 2. (tie) Bradley Massey/Reno Gonzales and Brady Barretine/Craig Stevens, 16.5, $2,350 each; 4. Braxton Culpepper/Brad Culpepper, 22.1, $940.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
First round: 1. Joe Farren, 81 points on Hi Lo ProRodeo’s Dolly’s Rocker, $2,425; 2. Ryder Sanford, 78, $1,819; 3. Kody Rinehart, 77, $1,213; 4. Wacey Hathcock, 76, $606.
Second round: 1. Ryder Sanford, 81.5 points on 4L & Diamond S Rodeo’s Gabriel, $2,425; 2. Kody Rinehart, 80.5, $1,819; 3. Treyson Antonick, 79, $1,213; 4. (tie) Jake Barnes and Joe Farren, 76, $303 each.
Third round: 1. Ryder Sanford, 81.5 points on Hampton Pro Rodeo’s Another Grey, $2,425; 2. (tie) Joe Farren and Jack Smithson, 81, $1,516 each; 4. Kody Rinehart, 80, $606.
Average: 1. Ryder Sanford, 241 points on three head, $3,638; 2. Joe Farren, 238, $2,728; 3. Kody Rinehart, 237.5, $1,819; 4. Wacey Hathcock, 226, $909.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
First round: 1. (tie) Macon Murphy and West Smith, 8.0 seconds, $2,193 each; 3. Thomas Conway, 9.1, $1,253; 4. Tim Pharr, 9.3, $627.
Second round: 1. Riley Istre, 8.0 seconds, $2,506; 2. Justin Thigpen, 8.2, $1,880; 3. Andrew Burks, 8.3, $1,253; 4. Thomas Conway, 9.3, $627.
Third round: 1. Andrew Burks, 7.6 seconds, $2,506; 2. Randall Carlisle, 8.2, $1,880; 3. Tim Pharr, 8.3, $1,253; 4. West Smith, 9.1, $627.
Average: 1. Andrew Burks, 26.2 seconds on three head, $3,760; 2. West Smith, 26.5, $2,820; 3. Tim Pharr, 27.0, $1,880; 4. Thomas Conway, 27.7, $940.
BARREL RACING
First round: 1. Kristin Hanchey, 14.78 seconds, $2,506; 2. Erin Wetzel, 14.82, $1,880; 3. Ericka Nelson, 14.87, $1,253; 4. Ashley Rogers, 14.96, $627.
Second round: 1. Erin Wetzel, 14.63 seconds, $2,506; 2. Presley Smith, 14.91, $1,880; 3. Margo Crowther, 14.95, $1,253; 4. Ashley Rogers, 14.96, $627.
Third round: 1. Taycie Matthews, 14.47 seconds, $2,506; 2. Erin Wetzel, 14.65, $1,880; 3. Margo Crowther, 14.70, $1,253; 4. Presley Smith, 15.16, $627.
Average: 1. Erin Wetzel, 44.10 seconds on three head, $3,760; 2. Ashley Rogers, 45.12, $2,820; 3. Josey Owens, 45.77, $1,880; 4. Ashley Parks, 46.53, $940.
BULL RIDING
*First round: 1. Ernie Courson Jr, 84 points on Universal Pro Rodeos’ Clifford, $5,995; no other qualified rides. Second round: No qualified rides.
*Third round: 1. (tie) Ernie Courson Jr, on Hi Lo ProRodeo’s Swamp Ghost, and Ethan Ray, on Five Star Rodeo’s Bad Pistol, 80 points, $2,298 each; 3. Dustin Herman, 75, $1,399; no other qualified rides.
*Average: 1. Ernie Courson Jr, 164 points on two head, $3,897; 2. Ethan Ray, 80 on one head, $2,997; 3. Dustin Herman, 75, $2,098; no other qualified rides. *(all totals include ground money).
BREAKAWAY ROPING
First round: 1. Heather McLaughlin, 2.4 seconds, $1,264; 2. Lacey Nail, 2.5, $948; 3. Blythe Odom, 4.1, $632; 4. Makayla Mack, 4.2, $316.
Second round: 1. Hollie Ladner, 2.4 seconds, $1,264; 2. Heather McLaughlin, 2.7, $948; 3. Shelby Osceola, 3.5, $632; 4. Leann Thomas, 4.6, $316.
Third round: 1. Heather McLaughlin, 2.4 seconds, $1,264; 2. Karrigan Cagley, 2.8, $948; 3. Leann Thomas, 7.3, $632; no other qualified runs.
Average: 1. Heather McLaughlin, 7.5 seconds on three head, $1,897; 2. Leann Thomas, 11.9 on two head, $1,422; 3. Hollie Ladner, 2.4 on one head, $948; 4. Lacey Nail, 2.5, $474.